Contact printer



Dec. 16, 1958 G. w. MERGENS CONTACT PRINTER Filed Sept. 27, 1954 INVENTOR.

GEQRGE W. MERGENS BY I M ATTORNEY.

Dec. 16, 1958 G. w. MERGENS CONTACT PRINTER Filed Sept. 27, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEORGE W. MERGENS BY E a 5 g a ATTORNEY.

United States Patent CONTACT PRINTER George W. Mergens, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Technicolor New York Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application September 27,1954, Serial No. 458,485

1 Claim. (CI. 95-73) This invention relates to an automatic machine for contact printing, on sensitized paper, photographic images imposed on a film.

It is an object of this invention to automatically print a given number of similar pictures from one setting of the printing machine.

It is a further object of this invention to vary the automatic feed of the sensitized paper to conform to the size of the negative.

It is a still further object of this invention to expose each print automatically.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following drawings and description:

In the drawings:

Figure l is a horizontal view of the printing machine.

Fig. 2 is a view partially in section showing the illuminating system.

Fig. 3 is a view in section showing the platen drive mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the timing mechanism.

The printing device comprises a base shown in Fig. l, on which is mounted a motor 11, which drives a speed reducer 12 by means of a belt 13. The reduction gearing 12 drives a crank 14, which in turn operates a connecting rod 15, mounted thereon. This in turn imparts an oscillatory motion of constant amplitude to a slide 16 having a roller 17 engaging cross links 18 pivoted at 19, which in turn drive a roller 20 engaging an oval slot in the opposite end of the link 18. The roller 20 is mounted on a slide 21. The linkage has the center pivot 19 adjustable manually so that the constant motion of the slide 16 when transmitted to the slide 21 will move the slide 21 through a distance greater or less than the movement of slide 16.

The slide 21 operates a closed loop of roller chain 22, which is maintained over sprockets 23 and 24, the upper sprocket 24 in turn drives an over-run clutch so that the oscillating motion of the chain 22 has only the clock-wise component transmitted to the drive chain 25 operating the rubber covered measuring roller 26, which in turn moves the sensitized paper from the supply roller 27 on to the exposed roller 28. It is therefore evident that the amount of sensitized paper which is moved is directly proportional to the distance moved by slide 21 which is in turn controlled by the manual setting of the pivot 19 on the arm 19a.

The speed reducer 12 drives a crank 29 shown in detail in Fig. 3, wherein a shaft 30 drives a follower 32 operating against a stationary cam 31 so as to raise and lower linkages 33 and 34, which in turn operate a platen 35. The stationary cam 31 referred to above, has an area at the top thereof shown in Fig. 3, as concave, its radius of curvature being exactly equal to the length of the connecting arm 33 and the center of said radius being coincidental with the upper pivot point of lever 33, so that while follower 32 progresses across the aforesaid concave surface, the lever 34 will remain stationary. The remainice der of the cam is circularly centered upon shaft 30 and causes the levers 33 and 34 to operate to raise and lower the platen 35 as the follower progresses around the stationary cam. This is necessary in order to allow the sensitized paper to travel across a transparent table 36 under the platen 35, which platen is then lowered by the cam after the paper has been advanced by the advancing mechanism.

An exposure lamp 37 shown in Fig. 2 throws a beam of light through a shutter 38 onto a mirror 39, which produces the desired illumination across the under side. of the transparent table 36 directly under the platen 35.

The shutter 38 is controlled by an exposure switch 40, shown in Fig. 4, which is in turn actuated by a flat cam 41 attached to the platen operating arm 33, striking a roller type follower 42 which closes the switch 40 for the duration of the contact of the cam 41 and the follower 42. The follower 42 and the switch 40 are adjustable by means of a rack 43 and a pinion 44 which are operated by a shaft 45 shown in Figure l. The switch 40 is movable so that the length of time that it is depressed by the .cam 41 can be varied. This in turn results in a change in exposure time which is necessary to produce satisfactory prints from negatives of varying degrees of density and contrast.

A negative is mounted on the transparent table 36. The arm 19a is adjusted in accordance with the size of the negative. The automatic exposure switch 40 is adjusted according to the density of the negative. The machine is then placed in operation. The platen 35 is lowered by means of the speed reducer 12 and held in its lowered position by the concave side of the cam 31. During this time the shutter 38 remains open, having been actuated by the cam 41. The shutter then closes. The follower 32 contacts the radial portion of the cam 31 and the platen is raised. The linkage 16 operates the drive on the measuring roller 26 of the sensitized paper advancing the paper across the transparent table 36. The platen is then lowered by the follower 32 leaving the radial portion of the cam 31. This cycle is then completed.

The advantages of this machine are principally that when a negative is observed and placed in the machine and the machine set in accordance with the size and density of the negative; the machine then operates automatically to expose the desired number of prints.

Due to the fact that this machine is variable as to the amount of sensitized paper that is moved across the platen for each exposure, it is not restricted to the use of standard sizes of film material.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that a device which substantially fulfills the object of the invention has been produced. While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still any number of such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An automatic contact printer comprising a transparent table adapted to support a photographic negative, a platen mounted for movement to and from a first position in which said platen is parallel to and exerts a force on said table and to and from a second position in which said platen is spaced fro-m said table, said space being adapted to permit the passage of sensitized paper therethrough, and means for moving said platen to and from said first and second positions, including a rotatable shaft, cam means operatively connected to said shaft, and linkage means operatively connecting said cammeans to said platen; and means for intermittently advancing said sensitized paper past said platen comprising a crank mounted on said rotatable shaft, a pivoted lever having an elongated slot at each side of said pivot, a slide arm pivotally conother end slidably disposed in one of said lever slots, whereby when said shaft rotates said lever will oscillate, another slide having a part slidably disposed in the other slot of said lever for-imparting reciprocating movement to said'ot-her'slide in response to oscillation ofsaid lever,

a *roller adapted to be connected to said sensitized paper,

and means responsive only to movement of said otherslide "in' one direction-operatively connecting said other slide to said-roller for intermittently rotating said roller in one direction in'response to the reciprocation of said other slide, said crank and cam means being positioned on said rotatable shaft relative to oneanother so that said roller rotates only when said platen is out ofsaid first position,

: just the extent of rotation of--said roller.

the pivot for said lever being movable whereby to adjust 15 2,657,613

UNITED STATES PATENTS Young Aug. 29, Urie July 12, Schwarz Oct. 18, Kulus Dec. 28, Kesses May 30, Swenson Apr. 3 0, Lyle Dec. 31, Grover -Mar.' 14; Richards June 6," Pavelle .."Jan. 1," Pavelle 'Nov.' 4, Maker Nov. 4, 

